Long-distance walking can give you the time to think about your life, something a busy lifestyle just doesn’t do.
What is the appeal of long-distance hiking? Is it access to more remote idyllic villages, pristine tracts of wilderness, and/or unique wildlife? The opportunity to test yourself and improve your outdoor skills? Time away from the daily grind? Yes, yes, yes! But there’s more.
Pain, toil, and commitment. Seriously, it’s easier to stream a multi-week hike fresh from its country of origin and avoid the sore feet and daily discomfort. In 2019, I watched months of YouTube video channels to prepare for the 4,300km Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) in America. Through GoPro camera lenses, I walked the PCT trail. Much of the footage of feet walking on dry, pebbly pathways wore thin, but I still wanted to walk this ridiculously long-distance trail myself. Why? Because these hikers’ stories captivated me.
Each story was unique and inspiring. Each person needed to be outdoors, away from the distractions of their busy lifestyle. They needed time to assess their present lives. Time to equip themselves with a mind free of doubt and negative thoughts. A rational mind to help them relax, heal, learn, find new direction, and ways to enjoy life.
A walker’s steady pace, like the hypnotic tempo of a metronome, has the power to transport you to those deepest thoughts. Particularly on a remote, solo, long-distance hike. No one cares where you are. Your only company is yourself.
Before I undertook the PCT, I was feeling directionless and fast becoming invisible at work as I aged. I was sick of living with the complications of diabetes. My marriage felt claustrophobic as my husband dealt with the debilitating effects of his chronic illness. I was desperate to live again, to be an adventurous risk taker. I needed time away to plan the next ten years, re-energise and improve myself.
Long-distance hiking gives you that time. Your thoughts become your companion, muse, advocate, critic. Positive or negative, they allow you to question them, seek clarity, and move forward in your life.
Like regular therapy, making progress with your mindset is slow. It took me four months on the PCT to accept living with chronic diseases and happily return to my husband’s embrace. Although diabetes had its complications on the trail, I learnt from my mistakes, survived, and thrived from the experience.
Other people may experience epiphanic moments or spiritual awakening on a long-distance hike. For me, the PCT showed me what I needed to fix and helped me fix it. I thought being invisible was a problem, but I loved the freedoms it allowed. I wore the same grubby clothes each day and discarded the daily makeup routine. No one batted an eyelid. I learnt to accept growing old. It was so liberating.
Forming close friendships with strangers is another nice takeaway of long-distance hiking. Connecting with others provided an enormous boost to my mental health. I will never forget my fellow hikers and the generous, kind trail angels who supported me along the way.
Long-distance hiking is not for everyone. Any load – physical, mental or emotional – will have its challenges, but many pathways and supported ‘Caminos’ await you throughout the world. It’s not too late to explore those trails.
Words_ Katrina ‘Kit Kat’ Hemingway